SMARTPLY’s latest board a triumph of customer-led innovation

SMARTPLY, the smart, cost-effective, sustainable OSB, has moved to an even higher plan of quality, design and innovation.

Following feedback from customers, SMARTPLY OSB is now available in its flattest, smoothest most accurate form yet.

Responding to market demand for a high-quality board which can be used for an even greater variety of applications, the new OSB panel is now offered in the broadest range of size and thickness, with widespread availability leading to minimal lead times.

This achievement has been made possible by an investment of €59M, bringing the latest, state-of-the-art technology to the manufacturing plant in Waterford, Ireland, making it the most advanced in Europe.

Stuart Devoil, MEDITE SMARTPLY Marketing Manager, said: “Customers have been quick to react to our new SMARTPLY with universally positive feedback. Its strict dimensional tolerance and outstanding surface have received particular comment. In terms of versatility and performance, we believe we’ve introduced a truly market leading panel to our industry.”

Good to go from the get-go

The first new SMARTPLY OSB rolled off the press on April 6th 2016. An extended period of trials, adjustments and prototypes were anticipated, but the product that emerged was an instant hit – exactly what SMARPLY had hoped for.

The board’s remarkable consistency is due to the latest continuous press technology used in its production. This powerful process involves raw materials being transported via conveyor belt between precision milled, highly-accurate rollers and guides, guaranteeing the accuracy that customers demanded. The cutting-edge machinery also enables huge flexibility in dimensions, allowing an even broader range of lengths, widths and thicknesses.

The new SMARTPLY OSB panel has already captured the imagination of those involved in the timber frame industry where building elements such as flooring and wall sheathing require products to align perfectly and sit flush with adjacent panels.

Whilst proven to be consistently level and accurate, the board has also been lauded for its environmentally-friendly credentials. As with all the panels in MEDITE SMARTPLY’S range, the new product is manufactured from a sustainable Irish forest resource in an energy-efficient process, giving it a lower carbon footprint than many types of plywood.

Setting standards

The new SMARTPLY’S smoother finish and consistent size is said to be a huge benefit when the product is used in ranges such as SMARTPLY SITEPROTECT and TOUGHPLY where panels are pre-coated or primed to speed installation of site hoardings or security screens.

“The finish has always been very good, but when the coating is applied to this new surface, it sets new standards,” said Stuart Devoil. “With more and more emphasis being put on the aesthetics of site hoardings for prestige developments, the quality of the installed final product is paramount. The face of this new SMARTPLY product means the final erection acts as the perfect substrate for high quality vinyl graphics, printed images or a painted finish.”

New sizes, new markets

The broader range of sizes available means that SMARTPLY can now look at a wider range of markets too. But as Stuart Devoil, explained, the bigger picture in terms of potential sales has only been made possible by the company’s unrelenting quest to innovate and refine its existing product range, with vital input from its current and potential customer base.

He said: “Understanding customer requirements is key to the way we innovate. The result of this listening is a board that is a game-changer in our industry. Flatter, smoother and manufactured to within tighter tolerances than ever before, the new board delivers every physical improvement our customers challenged us to meet.

Necessary innovation

With the increase in capacity from the new plant and a wealth of technology and expert knowledge to hand, the scope for product innovation is seemingly limitless. But each modification will be the result of a long, careful planning and testing process involving some of the most informed, technical minds in the industry. With SMARTPLY, it never is, and never will be a case of change for change’s sake.

Stuart Devoil said: “There are so many people that introduce changes to their product simply because they think it’s a good idea without asking their customer what they need. With new SMARTPLY, we’ve taken time to do things right, understanding exactly what our customers required to make their life easier or produce a better job. The investment we’ve made was driven by what our customers told us they needed.”

He added: “It’s no secret. We’re really excited about the new board and the improvements it brings. Even more exciting is that our customers have reacted in the same way. When you hand someone a sample and the first words out of their mouth are “oh, wow”, you know you’ve done a good job. We’ve listened and we’ve delivered just what they asked for. It’s an amazing achievement and a great feeling.”

Meticulous planning; brilliant design and huge investment based on years of experience ensure the new SMARTPLY OSB panel is a superbly ‘straight answer’ to customer demand for a high quality board with dimensional consistency, widespread availability and unrivalled performance.

SMARTPLY is part of Coillte, an innovative, FSC certified Irish forestry and forest products manufacturer. Based in Waterford, Ireland, SMARTPLY produces a versatile range of OSB2, OSB3 and OSB4 building products.

SMARTPLY OSB is made from locally sourced, sustainable, FSC® certified, fast-growing timber: the forest thinning’s of new-growth pine and spruce, including the tops which are not used to make any other wood-based products are used. SMARTPLY OSB boards are fully certified, structurally approved, CE Compliant, legal and sustainable alternatives to tropical plywood.